


Size IS Everything!

by Reiyezerwyre



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-05
Updated: 2017-02-05
Packaged: 2018-09-22 05:00:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9584621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reiyezerwyre/pseuds/Reiyezerwyre
Summary: As the newest member of the house, Kyungsoo expected to get the whole twenty-questions and fifth-degree from his new housemates. He just hadn't anticipated how invasive some of those questions would be.





	1. Housemates, who needs 'em

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfic is a revised/updated version of a fanfic I wrote a few years back - "Size is EVERYTHING!" - and was originally posted on AFF in 2014.

“Come on, Soo.” Chanyeol whined, pawing at Kyungsoo's knee like a kicked pup. Kyungsoo, for his part, did his best to ignore the over-grown man child, pointedly shifting a couple inches further along the sofa. For a moment he even allowed himself to think that maybe this time his over enthusiastic house mate had gotten the message. But this was Chanyeol that Kyungsoo was dealing with. Not one to be disheartened or deterred - as Kyungsoo'd learned very quickly after he moved in - Chanyeol reached for him again, hand landing on Kyungsoo’s leg. The span of his splayed fingers made Kyungsoo's - to quote Jongdae - 'generous' thighs appear slimmer than Kyungsoo ever remembered them being. Mildly startled - since physical contact wasn't really his thing - Kyungsoo slapped at the offending hand, brushing it off.

Chanyeol, lax as he was with regards to personal boundaries, responded with a pout as though Kyungsoo had been in the wrong to rebuke him.

Shaking his head to himself disapprovingly, Kyungsoo shifted another inch along the sofa and attempted to feign interest in the T.V. He wasn't going to let Chanyeol try to win this battle of wills with pouting and his god damn watery puppy eyes. He may be new to the house - 'fresh meat' as Sehun had described it his first night in the house - but Kyungsoo was a quick study.

He'd already seen Chanyeol use his trembling lower lip to great effect against another of their housemates, Baekhyun, who seemed incapable or possibly unwilling to recognize when Chanyeol was manipulating him. Maybe it was a side-effect of having lived alone most of his life, maybe it was just a quirk of his typically distrusting nature, but Kyungsoo had no intention of letting Chanyeol pull any of that kind of shit on him. Housemate or not.

Realizing that Kyungsoo wasn’t going to play ball, Chanyeol paused for a moment as though he’d finally got the message. Kyungsoo hoped he'd gotten the message and decided to let it go. But if there was one thing Kyungsoo had learned about his housemate and neighbour this past month it was that Chanyeol was as persistent as he was tall. And just as Kyungsoo let himself believe that maybe he was going to finally leave him alone, Chanyeol changed tact.

“Describe it then. How big is it?”

Kyungsoo pursed his lips as he felt his neck flush. As the newest member of the house he'd expected to get the whole twenty-questions and fifth-degree from his new housemates. What he hadn’t anticipated was just how invasive some of his housemates’ questions would be. Just last week, during a surprisingly heated debate Jongdae had asked him his thoughts on the filmography of a porn star Kyungsoo had never heard of. What it had to do with Genesis vs SNES, Kyungsoo still didn't understand.

Jongdae’s question that night had been inappropriate, or at least that's what Kyungsoo had thought until the rest of his housemates had started throwing about their thoughts on the matter. But Chanyeol, he was knocking it out of the park, way beyond any kind of common decency in Kyungsoo's mind. Asking about porn stars, while not something Kyungsoo was used to talking about, was something that he accepted was just what happened when you shared a house with eleven other guys, but asking about _that_ …

Keenly aware that the house’s youngest resident, Sehun (a runaway that the house kind of ‘adopted’ eight months ago), was listening in with half an ear as he watched his afternoon soap, Kyungsoo flushed to the tips of his ears. Was this really the kind of conversation Chanyeol should be having around minors?

“Can't be bigger than Suho-hyung.” Chanyeol mused flippantly, sitting back and throwing one of his arms over the back of the sofa.

“Suho?” Kyungsoo asked before he had a chance to stop, momentarily surprising himself. “I didn't think--” Fuck. Kyungsoo mentally kicked himself. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the grin plucking at the corner of Chanyeol’s mouth as he watched Kyungsoo try to back pedal.

“For a small guy, he's bigger than you'd expect.” Chanyeol stated matter of factly as he stretched out his obscenely long legs under the coffee table, the toe of his sneaker knocking against Sehun’s knee.

Willing himself to focus on the T.V., Kyungsoo tried not to think about how ‘big’ the house’s unofficial deputy leader, Suho, was. Or about how small he felt sitting next to Chanyeol sprawled out on the sofa. Kyungsoo didn’t think about things like that. He had no reason to. What did it matter to him how big those around him were? He didn’t have a size complex.

He didn’t.

For a moment it was quiet and Kyungsoo could feel Chanyeol watching him out the corner of his eye, knowing that he was finally getting to him. Under the scrutiny Kyungsoo shifted in his seat, not used to being the focus of anyone’s attention. Chanyeol’s persistence was making him uncomfortable. So he tried to focus his attention on the drama unfolding on the television screen, but as the female lead tore into a peripheral character over some slight from the previous episode Kyungsoo sensed Chanyeol moving, unconsciously taking up more of the sofa.

If there was anyone that Kyungsoo would describe as ‘big’ it would be Chanyeol. Everything about him from his legs to his ears was ridiculously exaggerated – and Kyungsoo means _everything_. The day he moved in Kyungsoo had had the unfortunate pleasure of seeing Chanyeol ‘as nature intended’ in all his over-sized glory. Kyungsoo had just dumped his bags in his new room - next to Chanyeol's as it would turn out - and the ever helpful Suho had offered to give him a tour of the house. Of course Suho had forgotten that Chanyeol (aspiring musician and part-time bartender) had been out for a six mile run that morning with his roommate, fitness fanatic, Tao, and had decided to nap on the sofa afterwards in all his glory to cool down. To say it had been a shock would be an understatement. It had nearly given the unsuspecting Kyungsoo a heart attack and he couldn’t look Chanyeol in the eye for days after.

Needless to say, at the time Chanyeol hadn't seemed all that small, not that Kyungsoo'd been looking. Not intentionally at least. In all honesty it had kind of been hard to miss. Chanyeol had been far larger than Kyungsoo had expected. Not that Kyungsoo'd made a point of remembering, but from what he did remember Kyungsoo found it hard to think of Suho as being ‘bigger’ than Chanyeol.

Was it even physically possible?

“Really?” Kyungsoo asked quietly, succumbing to his curiosity just a little. Maybe he could distract Chanyeol with talk about Suho.

“Yeah, Suho-hyung is huge.” Sehun drawled - seated on the floor by the edge of the coffee table, hugging the pillow in his lap - as the end credits ran up the T.V. screen.

“Tao’s bigger though.” Chanyeol added. “He's got at least a couple of inches on Suho.”

“Yeah, but that’s no surprise, really." Sehun agreed, glancing back at Kyungsoo and Chanyeol over his shoulder as Kyungsoo's jaw dropped and the embarrassed flush on his neck burned hotter. “I mean, just look at how tall the bastard is.”

“How big is he?” Kyungsoo couldn’t help but ask, suddenly very aware of his own size next to the 6ft-whatever Chanyeol and fellow giant Sehun. Was it really necessary for anyone to be that big and unwieldy?

For most of his life Kyungsoo had lived alone with very few close friends. With a non-existent father and barely there mother, Kyungsoo had left home at an early age and been self-reliant ever since. He wasn’t outgoing by nature and kind of just drifted through life alone for the most part, until he met Suho, who had offered him something he’d never really had before. A pseudo-family, or group of friends at least. Something completely new to Kyungsoo and he was still learning the ropes. He’d never been involved in a conversation like this before and now he was beginning to feel self-conscious as he looked at Chanyeol’s foot next to his own.

“Bigger than the rest of us that’s for sure.” Chanyeol said, a lilt of envy in his voice. “Lucky bastard.” He muttered under his breath as he absently picked at lint on one of the cushion covers.

“But what about Kris?” Kyungsoo knew he should just stop while any self-confidence he may had was still relatively intact. But apparently he was a masochist.

Chanyeol’s mood brightened instantly at the mention of house’s tallest member. “Not as big as you'd expect.”

Kyungsoo's eyebrows quirked up. “Oh.”

“Yeah, barely average.” Chanyeol smiled, apparently taking great pleasure in Kris’ supposed shortcomings. “Believe it or not, Jongdae's bigger than him, won't let the poor bastard live it down, of course.”

The revelation surprised Kyungsoo. If anything he’d expected the physically imposing junior lawyer to be far bigger than 'average'. The first time Kyungsoo had met and shaken hands with Kris he'd been immediately intimidated by the size of his other man's hands, which looked more than capable of crushing Kyungsoo’s skull. Not that Kyungsoo had a size complex.

He didn’t.

But then again, now that he was thinking about it, Kyungsoo wasn't quite sure just how big 'average' was. He’d never had anything to compare himself or others against. He had no sense of size.

“So?” Chanyeol prompted, nudging Kyungsoo with his foot. Kyungsoo just ducked his head and flushed. “Come on, you've seen mine.”

Sehun scoffed, tossing the pillow in his lap into the armchair to his right. “Not like he had a choice.” He argued, but Chanyeol ignored him and continued with his line of questioning.

“How furry are you?” He shot from the hip and Kyungsoo was almost floored by his persistence and how direct his questions had become. “This one," Chanyeol knocked Sehun's back with his other foot. "Wooly as a bloody mammoth. Sheds like one too."

“Oi,” Sehun barked in protest, reaching back to punch Chanyeol's shin. “How about you stop describing others’ and talk about your own for a change.”

“Fine. I’m a kind of rusty colour." Chanyeol explained turning back to Kyungsoo. “But you already know that. It’s a little thick, but surprisingly soft. Just like my hair." As though to demonstrate he ran a hand through his own hair. “What about you?”

“I don't know.”  Kyungsoo murmured, growing more self-conscious as the conversation continued.

“How can't you know? Surely you've looked?” Chanyeol asked disbelieving.

“No, I haven’t.”

“Seriously? Not even once.”

“No, to be honest I don't know what it looks like.” 

"What ‘what’ looks like?" Suho asked as he walked into the lounge room, scratching at the back of his neck, a cup of fresh coffee in hand.

Kyungsoo found himself involuntarily remembering what Chanyeol and Sehun had said about Suho. He couldn’t help but wonder for a moment. Was the mild mannered public servant really as big as they said he was? Was he actually 'huge'?

Kyungsoo found it hard to believe. Suho was barely taller than Kyungsoo. There was just no way.

“His wolf.” Sehun answered over his shoulder. “Chanyeol wants to know what it looks like.”

Suho glanced down at Chanyeol. “Really?”

“What?” Chanyeol shrugged. “We're his brothers now, shouldn't we know what his wolf looks like?”

“I suppose, but Kyungsoo’s been a lone wolf most of his life, I doubt he even knows what he looks like.” The pack beta turned to Kyungsoo and asked, “Do you?”

“No, not really.”

“Well, that won't do.” Chanyeol stated, standing up, hands on his hips. “Now you're going to have to show us?” he concluded, excited at the prospect that he would get to see Kyungsoo out of his skin. “Come on-” He started as he reached down to Kyungsoo.

“Not until the next moon.” Suho cut in, batting at Chanyeol’s hand.

Chanyeol deflated faster than a burst balloon. “Why not?”

“Jongin doesn't want Kyungsoo shifting until we're all present, just to be safe.”

“But, summer break isn't for another three weeks.” Chanyeol groaned. “I can't wait that long. I want to know now.”

“Alpha's orders.” Suho sing-songed, patting the disappointed Chanyeol fondly on the head. “I know you're impatient, but you're just going to have rein yourself in this time. Find something else to occupy yourself until then, ok?”

“Okay.”

 -.-.-

 

Three days later - to Kyungsoo's horror - Chanyeol started up a betting pool with the rest of the housemates, posting a small chart on the fridge, right above the month’s power bill, to record everyone’s bets alongside a calendar with the first full moon of summer break circled twice in red.

It didn’t take long, of course, for the bets to start coming in. The first was one of the pack’s deltas, Jongdae (a small-time realtor with a nasty wicked streak) who bet that Kyungsoo would be a black wolf since his hair is black. Flawless logic, really. This was seconded by Suho, who also added that Kyungsoo will of the fluffy variety to his bet. Another pack delta, Luhan (a music student struggling through his honors year) bet, on the basis of Kyungsoo's small stature and somewhat timid demeanor, that the pack's newest member would be the smallest, and no doubt the cutest of them all.

The somewhat flaky gamma Yixing - purely for the sake of annoying his roommate Luhan - bet that Kyungsoo would be small, of course, but bigger than Luhan, leaving the vivacious strawberry blonde with the title of the smallest in the pack.

Xiumin - a quiet delta, who had initially refrained from betting until Luhan literally twisted his arm - surprised everyone by betting that Kyungsoo would turn out to be one of their largest wolves. Kris - the pack's secondary alpha and Jongin's mate - initially laughed the idea off as ridiculous, until Chanyeol pointedly reminded him that Suho was bigger than him. To which the alpha mumbled something about size not being everything.

Pack alpha Jongin (a college student in his senior year) just laughs over the speakerphone as Chanyeol explained everything to him and bet that Kyungsoo would be fluffier than Sehun, by virtue of his squishy cheeks.

  
Of course they all knew that discerning the appearance of an individual's wolf on the basis of their human form was little more than a pseudo-science and that for most Lycanthropes their human form actually has almost no bearing on their wolf, but they all enjoyed speculating and joking at Kyungsoo's expense anyway as they counted down to the days until summer break and Jongin's return.


	2. Housemates, ain't so bad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All bets are in.

Despite Chanyeol’s continuous complaints about how far away the summer break is, three weeks passed quicker than Kyungsoo expected and it wasn’t long before an exhausted-looking Jongin was shuffling through the front door sometime mid-afternoon the first day of summer break. He’d obviously just woken up judging from the way the hair on the back on his head stood on end at strange angles.

Kyungsoo, a little uneasy, watched the young man raise the back of his hand to his mouth as he yawned and wondered briefly how a college student, particularly a sophomore, like Jongin could become a pack-alpha. To look at there wasn’t much about Jongin that said alpha, much less pack-alpha. Compared to his mate Kris - who walked into the house barely a minute after Jongin, arms loaded with backpacks and sports bags that were nearly filled to bursting - Jongin was slight, and mild mannered, looked almost as timid as Kyungsoo. Certainly not qualities that one would attribute to a pack-alpha.

Jongin seemed barely conscious enough to toe off his shoes as Kyungsoo watched him from the kitchen table. His game of poker with Baekhyun and Chanyeol forgotten as the lanky bar-tender dropped his hand and damn near bounded over to the returning pack alpha.

“Jongie!” was all the warning the pack-alpha got before he was being swept up in one of Chanyeol’s suffocating bear hugs, face crushed into the taller man’s shoulder as the air was slowly squeezed from his lungs. It was a terrifying experience, Kyungsoo knew, but the sleepy young man didn’t seem bothered by it. Instead he seemed to appreciate the bone crushing gesture, leaning forward and shifting all of his weight on to Chanyeol, as Kris, still laden with Jongin’s luggage shuffled past, making a bee-line down the hall to the room he and Jongin shared.

There was a muffled “Hey, Yeolie.” against Chanyeol’s shoulder as Jongin tried to bury himself further into the beta’s chest. Kyungsoo cocked an eyebrow and gave Baekhyun a brief questioning glance. _Are they a thing? Isn’t Kris…?_

Baekhyun folded his hand, answering with a smile and dismissive wave of his hand. “Not what you’re thinking. Our Jongie is just a cuddle-bug when he’s sleepy. Chanyeol’s his number one fan-boy, and more than happy to indulge.”

Kyungsoo was not sure what to make of this new information. He’d always heard that mated pairs were protective and jealous of their mates, particularly alpha pairs who viewed potential advances on their mates as open challenges to their position in the pack. Yet here was Jongin almost literally burrowing under Chanyeol’s skin and his mate, Kris, hadn't even so much as batted an eye at the whole thing. It went against everything that Kyungsoo’s infrequent encounters with other wolves prior to joining Jongin’s pack had taught him about being a wolf.

“And Kris isn’t bothered by it?”

Baekhyun shrugged, “No, believe me if he was the whole pack would know about it and Chanyeol... well let’s just say he’d be lucky if he was still breathing afterwards. He may not look it, but Kris has quite the mean streak when you push the right buttons.”

Kris emerged from his bedroom, and Kyungsoo watched as the junior lawyer approached Chanyeol and his mate. Resting a hand on the beta’s shoulder he gestured to Jongin and Chanyeol shifted back half a step, enough for Kris to slip his arms around his sleepy mate’s waist and gently extricate him from the bartender’s embrace. Jongin whined briefly, but Kris quickly scooped him up in his arms and carried him back to his bedroom as Jongin burrowed into his chest.

Chanyeol watched for a moment as they disappeared into Kris’ room before returning to the kitchen table. As he sat down he glanced at Kyungsoo’s open hand, then his own laid out face up and cursed. “Aw, damn it.”

Baekhyun laughed evilly, taking a sip from his coffee as the bartender collapsed into his seat. “Too bad, Yeol.” He said as he laid out his own hand with an unnecessary flourish. “Looks like your chips are mine.” Reaching forward, Baekhyun claimed his winnings, pointedly dragging the plastic chips across the table.

Chanyeol dropped his head to the table top with a heavy thunk and an exaggerated groan.

“Lose again, Chanyeol?” Kyungsoo looked up to see Kris come up behind the defeated beta and drop a hand on his shoulder. Chanyeol only groaned again in response, at which Kris laughed. “Face it, dude. You suck at poker.” He briefly turned to Kyungsoo as he pulled up a chair beside Chanyeol, “Grab me a coffee, Soo.”

After a couple of months of living in the house, Kyungsoo had gotten used to Kris’ direct and at times abrasive manner, so he took no offense at the order as he stood up and set about making the alpha a strong black coffee. As he stood at the bench slowly pouring boiling water over the coffee grinds Kyungsoo listened to the conversation behind him.

“Fun night?” Baekhyun asked as he stacked his winnings, counting out the chips.

“Yeah, apparently got dragged out on a club crawl last night.” Kris answered with a hint of disapproval to the tone of his voice.

Chanyeol laughed. “Oh, bet they really had to twist his arm.”

There was a murmur of agreement from Kris as Kyungsoo set the kettle down and threw away the used grinds.

“Is he going to be up for tonight?” Baekhyun asked as Kyungsoo put the coffee in front of Kris before returning to his seat.

Kris gave Kyungsoo a nod of thanks before answering. “He slept most of the way, so give him a few more hours and he’ll be ready.”

Chanyeol’s mood visibly brightened, and he shot Kyungsoo a wide grin. “Can’t wait.”

“Neither can I,” Baekhyun added, “Hope you’re ready to pay up Park.”

“Speak for yourself, Baek. I have a good feeling about this,” Chanyeol glanced across the table and Kyungsoo felt himself internally cower under the scrutiny as the bottom fell out of his stomach. To say he was nervous about the evening’s impending run was an understatement. He had been dreading it to varying degrees since he joined the pack – with Jongin’s blessing over Skype – just over two months ago. Of course Chanyeol’s betting pool hadn’t made things any better.

Now Kyungsoo felt like there was an unspoken expectation hanging over him that he doubted he could live up to and the prospect of shedding his skin in front of his new pack mates had him on edge. Sensing Kyungsoo’s nerves, Kris gave him a reassuring pat on the back as he stood to return his empty coffee mug to the sink. It wa a comforting gesture and enough to help Kyungsoo get a handle on his nerves.  

No surprise really. For someone as abrupt and seemingly cold as Kris, the junior lawyer had a gift for reading people and responding to what he sensed accordingly. He would've made a great pack-alpha in Kyungsoo’s opinion. In fact when Suho had first introduced him to Kyungsoo he’d mistakenly assumed Kris was the pack-alpha, only to be quickly corrected with a laugh and a hearty clap on the shoulder.

“I think both of you will be lining my pockets.” Kris asserted with a jest as he rinsed the mug and placed it on the dish rack. Turning back to the table he cocked his hip against the bench top. “So you better be prepared to cough up when Soo here proves me right.”

 

-.-.-

 

An hour or so after sunset, the house was buzzing with energy as the last of the housemates, Jongdae finally returns home. The moment he walked in the door Chanyeol was on his feet, jumping up from the sofa and about to make his way down the hall when Kris caught him by the shoulder. “Hold your horses, Yeol.”

“Aw, c'mon. Everyone’s home, it’s time to go.” Chanyeol complained. For the last couple of hours he had been growing more and more agitated and impatient. By nature Chanyeol was not much of a home-body and he’d been stuck at home all day, a hair’s breadth from climbing the walls. That coupled with the coming full moon made Chanyeol and the rest of the pack’s younger members restless.

Kris, of course, wasn’t moved and fixed the beta with a stern glare. “Unless you want him taking a chunk out of your ear tonight, you’ll leave him be.”

Cowered for the time being, Chanyeol returned to his seat on the sofa, sandwiched between Tao and Baekhyun. Kyungsoo - seated on the floor next to Suho - watched as Tao wordlessly passed Chanyeol the bowl of chips he’d been nursing his lap, but the beta declined. His leg jiggling restlessly as he went back to watching the action-comedy Luhan had rented for them a couple days ago. The tangy musk that hung over him made it clear that he was itching to shed his skin.

They all were.

As they continued to wait for Jongin, Kyungsoo started wringing his hands in his lap, secretly hoping that the pack-alpha slept the night away so his wouldn’t have to do this. But just as Kyungsoo began contemplating possible excuses to get out of the evening’s run, Chanyeol and Tao perked up glancing towards the hallway as Jongin stepped out into the living room, looking bright and alert, dressed in a well-loved pair of loose fitting jeans and band print tee.

Noticing Jongin standing behind the sofa, Xiumin grabbed the remote from Luhan’s lap and turned off the T.V., while Luhan nudged Yixing awake with his knee.

“You all ready?” Jongin asked, casually cracking his neck as he looked over his pack. “The sooner we get Kyungsoo out of his skin the sooner we can get this run started.”

“Alright,” Suho started up, with a clap of his hands. “Baekhyun, Chanyeol. You’re with Kris and Jongin.  Sehun, Luhan, Xiumin. You guys ride with Jongdae. Yixing, you’re with me and Kyungsoo.” He turned to Tao. “See you when we get out there.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

With that the pack was out the door and climbing into the nominated member’s cars, while Tao shrugged on his leathers and kick started his road bike. Kyungsoo followed Yixing to Suho’s car and climbed into the back seat, while Yixing slid into the passenger seat. Before starting the engine, Suho glanced back at Kyungsoo in the rear view mirror. “It’s going to be fine, Kyungsoo. No need to worry.”

Yixing agreed and turned back in his seat, shooting Kyungsoo a warm smile. “We’re just going for a run, no big deal.”

“Yeah.” Kyungsoo answered, trying to sound more relaxed than he felt. He knew he shouldn’t be feeling this edgy. It wasn't like he hadn’t gone on a run before, though it would be the first time he wouldn’t be doing a run alone. The prospect of shedding his skin in front of his new pack made his stomach turn. His self-consciousness turning sour on the back of his tongue as Suho pulled out of the parking lot and out into the street.

The drive out of town was quiet. Yixing curled up in the front seat asleep, while Suho kept his eyes on the road. In the back seat Kyungsoo was beginning to feel the itch under his skin, and started wringing his hands again to ease the urge to shed his skin as he watched the full moon out the window.

Eventually Suho pulled off the high way and down an unsealed road that skirted the edge of the wilderness. The canopy of the trees soon obscured the sky and after a few minutes Suho brought the car to a stop. In the wash of the headlights Kyungsoo could see Tao standing by his bike in nothing but a black tank and jeans talking with Jongin and Kris as the rest of his pack-mates built a bonfire.

Cutting the engine Suho glanced back at Kyungsoo and offerd him a smile. “You’ll be fine.” With that he tapped Yixing on the shoulder, rousing him from his sleep. “We’re here.”

Yixing answered with a murmur and a shake of his head before climbing out of the car. Suho and Kyungsoo followed.

The moment he stepped out of the car Kyungsoo felt the itch beneath his skin grow hot. He scratched absently at his neck to relieve the feeling as he, Yixing and Suho walked over to the rest of the pack crowded around the bonfire. As they drew close Jongin stepped forward and placed a hand Kyungsoo’s shoulder.

“Since this is your first run with us I wanna play things safe. Not that I don’t trust you, but I need to know we have a handle on your wolf even if you don’t.” He explained, before nodding to Tao, who stripped off his jeans and tank top. The discarded clothes barely touched the ground before Tao ran out his claws and curled them under the skin of his stomach, tearing it open.

Kyungsoo gagged as Tao pealed back his own flesh, tearing away chunks of skin and muscle, exposing a swath of bloody, matted black fur underneath. He watched, disgusted and horrified as his pack-mate tossed the useless flesh on the bonfire. The sickly sweet smell of burnt meat wafting over the pack. Kyungsoo had shed his own skin before. He knew what it entailed, but he had never seen it before and for the first time in his life the thought of shedding his skin made him physically sick and he turned away retching.

When Kyungsoo turned back to the fire, the taste of bile on the back on his tongue, a huge black wolf was standing were Tao had been. Its coat damp with a light, bloody sheen and pile of clothes at its feet. Torn flesh hissed and spit on the fire as Jongin gave the wolf, Tao, an approving pat on the head. Tao was the biggest animal Kyungsoo had ever seen, standing almost as high as Kyungsoo’s hip. He could’t help but step back, intimidated, right into another large wolf - barely an inch smaller than Tao - with a dark brown coat standing where Suho had been, the beta’s shirt, pants and skin at its feet.

“Ok,” Jongin started, giving Tao a gentle scratch behind the ear before continuing. “Tao and Suho should be enough. So go ahead, Kyungsoo.” He gestured to the fire and Kyungsoo's feet suddenly felt like lead.

“Go on,” Yixing encourages and Suho gently nudged at the back of his knees urging Kyungsoo forward until he was standing by the bonfire.

Kyungsoo looked back at Yixing, and to Jongin with Tao beside him, then glanced at the rest of his new pack around him. They were all waiting. Waiting for Kyungsoo to shed his skin and show them his wolf. The spotlight was on him and Kyungsoo just wanted to turn tail and go him, but the itch under his skin was only getting worse. He could feel the ache in his nail beds, he claws begging to be run out.

Taking a deep breath and swallowing down his nerves, Kyungsoo let the heat under the itch rise up. His claws ran out, the pain dulled by the adrenaline of the shift, and curled them under his skin. The itch began to fade as he pulled at his flesh, tearing it from his shoulders, arms and chest slowly exposing his wolf to his new pack. Another rush of adrenaline flushed through his veins as he clawed at his back and dropped to his haunches, shaking the remains of his flesh from his coat.

Inhaling deeply Kyungsoo savored the crisp, bite of the evening air as he felt his bones shift and grind, reshaping themselves. As his wolf emerged Kyungsoo scented his pack-mates for the first time. All around him was a mix of sweet, citrus and musk dominated by a sharp, spicy accent that Kyungsoo could tell was coming from Jongin. He reeked of pack-alpha.

“Well, fuck me.”

The murmur caught Kyungsoo’s sensitive ears, drawing his attention to Chanyeol, who was standing a few feet behind Jongin. The beta appeared gob-smacked as though someone has just slapped him across the face. Glancing around his pack-mates Kyungsoo noticed that almost all of them had similar expressions.

“Pay up, Park.” Baekhyun demanded, eyes locked on Kyungsoo as he absently held his hand out to Chanyeol.

Chanyeol half-heartedly slapped Baekhyun’s hand away. “No way. You didn’t bet this.”

  
“None of us did.”

 


	3. Housemates, will drive you mad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyungsoo's about to find out exactly what he has gotten himself into.

Kyungsoo was tense as he looked over his pack-mates, all of them sporting similar looks of surprise, except for his alpha, Jongin – who watched him with a shit eating grin almost as wide as any in Jongdae’s repertoire. Behind him Chanyeol and Baekhyun were still struggling to process what they were witnessing as Jongin raised his hands and began to applaud. “A fucking Tundra?!” He laughed. “Brilliant! I had you picked for a Tibetan, but shit, a fucking Tundra.”

Tundra? Kyungsoo had no idea what Jongin was talking about, but he assumed it was good, judging by the smile on Jongin’s face, though he couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe he was being laughed at. Kris, ever perceptive, quickly noticed Kyungsoo’s uncertainty and crouched down in front of him, “Soo, do you know what you are?” he asked, gently.

A cocked head was enough of an answer for Kris to decide to explain. “You’re a Tundra Wolf, Soo, and a big one at that.” The blank expression on Kyungsoo’s face must have been obvious even out of his skin.

“It’s your subspecies, Soo.” Luhan explained, stepping forward, “I’m Tibetan, so are Sehun, Chanyeol and Jongin. Suho behind you, he’s a Great Plains Wolf, and Tao’s a British Columbian. Each of us belongs to a subspecies. You just happen to be one none of us have ever seen.”

“Well, this is just further proof that I know how to pick ‘em.” Jongin boasted, pulling his phone from his pocket and tapping quickly at the screen. “I mean what’s this? The third rare subspecies I’ve brought into the fold.” He paused for a moment to take Kyungsoo’s picture. “Clearly, I am just that awesome.” He stated matter of factly as he saved the image.

“Awesome, my ass.” Kris scoffed, standing up to clip his arrogant mate behind the ear. “You never found, Kyungsoo. That was Suho. And who was it that found Tao? Huh?”

“Yeah, but I found you and I’m pack alpha. So…I’m awesome.” Jongin stated petulantly.

Kris gave a long suffering sigh, “Just shed your skin already before that big head of yours gets in the way.” He knocked his mate’s shoulder as he passed, calling out to the rest of the pack as he started unbuttoning his shirt. “Ok, it’s time to stop gawkin’ at Soo, and get this run under way.”

With that discarded clothes and flesh flew as the rest of the pack raced to shed their skins. It was a macabre and disturbing sight, but Kyungsoo couldn’t seem to bring himself to look away, even though it made him feel sick to his stomach.

Kris was the first to emerge from his skin. A stunning pale wolf, almost matte white. The broad shoulders and trim hips of his human form translated into an impressive barrel chest, heavy set shoulders and surprisingly slim haunches. Compared to Tao and Suho, he was undeniably smaller, but clearly heavier and obviously built for taking down big game.

Jongin wasn’t far behind, and wasted no time barreling into Kris’ side the moment he was free of his skin. It happened so fast that it caught Kyungsoo off guard, one second Kris was standing by Tao, the next a lithe streak of gold and tan was knocking the wind from pale wolf. But the smaller wolf, despite his speed failed to force his mate to lose his footing. Kris responded with a playful nip aimed at Jongin’s ear that missed.

Suho came up on Kyungsoo’s right as Yixing shook off the remains of his skin from his tawny coat, the shades of brown and black in the singing teacher’s fur moved in ripples as the shake traveled the length of his body. Like Suho, Kris and Tao, Yixing was bulkier than their alpha, but unlike Kris, his musculature was more evenly spread over his frame. He was a big game hunter, but his features were noticeably smaller and rounder than those of his other large pack-mates. Something that became more obvious when Suho nuzzled affectionately at Yixing’s neck.

Two wolves, Xiumin and Luhan judging from their scents, bounded past the pair with an excited yip. The smaller of the two, Luhan, a shaggy wolf with a dusty yellow coat, deliberately smacked Yixing’s rump with his tail as he passed. Xiumin – a considerably larger wolf with a gray and black coat – ran ahead to the edge of the clearing only to stop and wait for Luhan before disappearing into the trees.

Yixing and Suho glanced back at Kyungsoo, the look in their eyes expectant. Kyungsoo stepped forward and Yixing turned tail running for the trees, Suho and Kyungsoo gave chase, passing a rusty colored Chanyeol as he shook off his skin.

Up ahead Yixing darted under a fallen tree and bounded over another as he disappeared into the forest. Kyungsoo and Suho followed his lead, ducking low, weaving and leaping as they chase the singing teacher through the trees, copying every move and struggling to make up ground. It was exhilarating. Yixing was faster and more nimble than Kyungsoo had expected for a wolf his size and Suho, despite his size, managed to keep pace better than Kyungsoo, who quickly realized just how unfit he is.

After a couple of minutes Kyungsoo stumbled over a tree root, and used it as an excuse to drop out of the chase. Suho glanced back briefly to check that Kyungsoo was okay, before continuing on. Legs trembling, and lungs burning Kyungsoo slowed down to a walk, taking a moment to scent the air. He could smell all of his pack-mates to varying degrees. There was the sweet, almost bubble gum scent of Sehun and the more earthy musk of Tao to his left. The soft citrus of Yixing and cinnamon of Suho ahead –

The crunch of dead leaves behind him caught Kyungsoo’s ear. He turned just in time to dodge as Baekhyun pounced. The telemarketer stuck the landing despite missing his intended target and quickly flashed Kyungsoo the closest thing to a sly grin that a wolf could manage. His tongue lolling out over his canines. Kyungsoo grinned back, and lowered his stance. Baekhyun responded in kind, shifting his weight back on to his haunches, accepting the challenge.

Kyungsoo took a moment to size his opponent up. Baekhyun’s coat was short - a shade of burnt orange and black - and he had a similar build to Xiumin. Perhaps they were from the same subspecies, but Kyungsoo didn’t know enough about subspecies to be sure. Baekhyun was on the leaner side of muscular, more streamlined than Yixing, though not as slight as Jongin or Luhan. Kyungsoo could only assume that Baekhyun was built for speed and hunting down smaller game. He had two options, chase Baekhyun down or take him down. The latter being the more appealing of the two. Kyungsoo doubted he could last long in another chase like the one he'd had with Yixing.

He knew Baekhyun was watching him - ready to run - so Kyungsoo eased his stance. A feint that he hoped Baekhyun would buy. Noticing Kyungsoo pull out of his stance Baekhyun straightened up. Kyungsoo, seeing his chance, drove all of his strength into his haunches and pounced. Baekhyun, caught off guard, had no choice but to try and stand his ground, but Kyungsoo was bigger and heavier. He had at least 20 pounds, possibly more, on Baekhyun so the telemarketer didn’t stand a chance as over 100 pounds of muscle crashed into him, knocking him to the ground.

They tussled, Baekhyun struggling to get back on his feet, while Kyungsoo tried to keep him down long enough to be considered the victor. It didn’t take long for Baekhyun to go limp, belly up, conceding victory to Kyungsoo. Pleased with his first win, Kyungsoo stepped back, tail whipping back and forth as Baekhyun stood up.

Playfully nudging at Kyungsoo’s shoulder as he passed, Baekhyun made it clear that he had no intention of letting Kyungsoo’s victory stand long. Kyungsoo returned the gesture as a howl rang out. Baekhyun cocked his head, an indication for Kyungsoo to follow, before taking off in the direction of the call. As expected Baekhyun was fast and Kyungsoo had a hard time keeping pace with the gamma wolf as they moved through the forest.

Baekhyun led him to an old river bed where his pack-mates were gathering, Kris and Suho back in their skins. With their clothes still back at the cars, they stood naked among their pack-mates. Jongin sat on his haunches at Kris’ side, head resting against his mate’s thigh, while the junior lawyer absentmindedly scratched him behind the ear. Suho spotted Kyungsoo and Baekhyun approach and called out to Kyungsoo, waving him over. As Kyungsoo drew close Suho gestured to the center of the circle that his pack-mates were forming.

“Kyungsoo, for the past two months you have lived with us, shared meals with us and tonight you have shed your skin with us. I think I can safely say that all of us would be honored to call you brother. So it’s time you became part of our pack officially, unless anyone has a problem with that?” Suho glanced around, but is met with silence. Kyungsoo shifted his weight nervous and uneasy. Up until now he had been under the impression that he was already part of the pack, but apparently that wasn’t the case.

“Looks like you get the okay from everyone.” Suho remarked with a smile, “No surprise, really. If we could have we would have done this right after you moved in, but we need Jongin. So…” He trailed off with a shrug.

“Well, he’s here now.” Kris interjected. “So let’s get this done, before the moon sets. I’m meeting a client in the morning.” He stepped away from Jongin and crouched down in front of Kyungsoo. “Soo, just so you know what you’re getting yourself into, to become pack you have to submit to Jongin and take the bite. Once you do you’ll be one of us and we will be in your head, literally 24-7. You won’t have any secrets, no privacy, if you don’t think you can handle that tell us now, because once you’re pack you can’t take it back.”

Kyungsoo balked at that for a moment. His whole life he’d been a lone wolf, alone in every sense of the word for more than two decades. Could he handle having 11 other men in his head all day, every day for the rest of his life? Did he even want that? What good could even come from it? Maybe he would be better off on his own?

Kyungsoo could feel Kris and the rest of the pack watching him as he tried to digest what he’s just been told. Could he sacrifice his privacy, his secrets and his insecurities? He glanced around at each of the wolves he had been living with for the past months in turn.

Energetic, boisterous and shameless Chanyeol, who slept with his mouth open and had a habit of shedding his skin in the house after a long run. Spoilt, pampered and mischievous Sehun, addicted to coffee, bubble tea and T.V. soaps, and capable of worming his way out house chores with frustrating ease. Vain, childish, high-maintenance Tao, who refused to wear a towel for the 12ft walk between the bathroom and his room and insisted on draping himself all over other pack-members while watching T.V.

Snide, sarcastic, but ultimately good-hearted Jongdae, who had made it his life mission to make Kris go gray prematurely with his antics, yet found the time to talk Suho down when he was too wound up after work. Vivacious, dramatic and out-going Luhan, an obsessive neat-freak with impossible standards who had just as much trouble keeping still as Chanyeol. Quiet, patient and level-headed Xiumin, Luhan’s polar opposite and the pack’s voice of reason when tensions ran high. Sweet, flaky and compassionate Yixing, absent minded to a fault and incapable of keeping track of anything that wasn’t physically attached to him.

Responsible, organized and diligent Suho, who always put the empty cartoon back in the fridge and left the radio in his room playing even as he slept. Wisecracking, attention seeking, mood-maker Baekhyun, who insisted on making himself the center of a conversation and was incapable of accepting defeat, often resulting in flying game controllers.

Observant, calculating and perceptive Kris, who shouldn’t be allowed near potentially dangerous cooking utensils and thought it was ok to trim his toe nails in the living room then not pick up the clippings. And Jongin, cocky, competitive, and reckless. Kyungsoo’s future alpha if he chose. Did he want to be one of them at the cost of laying everything about himself bare? Maybe? Kyungsoo had never really had a family before.

Kyungsoo dropped back onto his haunches, stretching out his legs as he eased himself down onto the ground and rolled on to his back. Jongin stepped forward and scented him, nuzzling and nipping around Kyungsoo’s neck and exposed belly. Satisfied that Kyungsoo was not going to back out, he bit down suddenly on the soft flesh just above the junction of Kyungsoo’s right hind leg. Kyungsoo yelped in pain as Jongin’s canines pierced deep. His head began to spin and for a second he was convinced he was going to pass out when –

_…be a beta?_

_Nah, gamma, maybe._

_He’s too timid for beta._

_Great, just what we need another gamma._

_Not necessarily. Suho ain’t exac- ow!_

Voices, or rather words and strings of sentences in muffled, indistinguishable tones started running though Kyungsoo’s mind. Like his own inner voice, except not his thoughts, not his words.

_Hey!_

_My money’s on delta._

_What? I’m only telling the truth._

_Jesus, Su. What the fuck!_

_Done. 10?_

_So much for timid._

_20._

As he listened Kyungsoo tried to make out the voices, but they all sounded the same.

_What does it matter what he is?_

_Oh, I don’t know, pack dynamics maybe?_

_Deal._

_What if he’s alpha?_

_Fat chance, Jongin would have sensed it._

_Maybe not, lone wolves don’t have a hierarchy, so-_

_Lone wolf or not, if he’s alpha he would have been showing traits well before Suho met him_

_Going by size, I’d say delta._

_I’m calling bullshit, right there._

_What? He’s got the build._

_Explain Luhan then._

_Fuck you!_

_Only if Xiumin doesn’t mind shar-_

Somewhere on Kyungsoo’s left one of his pack-mates yelped in pain.

_Ow, fuck!_

Jongin released his bite and Kyungsoo twisted himself around, ignoring the sharp ache in his leg to see a white and black wolf of a similar build to Yixing that smelled like Jongdae, nursing one of his front paws. Next to him sat a rather peevish looking Luhan, the fur on his hackles raised.

_Serves you right._

_Shut up, Kris._

_Alright, time to cut the crap. Kyungsoo’s one of us now, so no one thinks anything unless they have something nice to think!_

_So my all my French maid Kris fantasies are ok then._

Suddenly in Kyungsoo's mind’s eye an image of Kris dressed in a scandalously short French maid outfit began to form –

_Dae!_

The image disappeared.

_What?! It’s a compliment._

_Jesus, Dae._

_Kyungsoo, doesn’t need to see your wank material._

_You could have at least made the skirt a little shorter._

_Don’t encourage him, Jongin!_

                            _Here we go again._

_You’ve got great legs. Only a mini will do them justice._

_Is this going to turn into another porn war?_

_See, your boy toy likes my fantasies, why can’t you?_

_If so I have some doozies ready._

_Boy toy?_

_No, it’s not. And don’t you dare Chanyeol._

_Ooo, you better run Da-_

                                          BOY. TOY! You…

 

Barely managing to follow the overlapping conversations, Kyungsoo turned to back to Jongin just in time to see the alpha, throw himself after Jongdae, who sensing danger scrambled to his feet. He didn’t get far, maybe two feet at best before Jongin knocked him to the ground.

                                          _You bastard. I’m your alpha._

As he watched the pair scuffle, Kyungsoo wondered what exactly he had gotten himself into.


End file.
